Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention relates to a self-retaining elongated adsorbent unit especially suited for removable installation in an elongated receiver integrated with a refrigerant condenser.
In refrigerant receivers, especially those designed for integration with refrigerant condensers, the receiver is generally an elongated housing having a length-to-width ratio of at least about 6:1. Adsorbent is typically placed in the narrow interior of such housings in a manner that renders it difficult to remove and replace the adsorbent. Also, the absorbent should generally be restrained against movement during refrigeration operations. In some designs, the adsorbent is packed into a fixed chamber that is formed in a medial section of the receiver housing. The adsorbent is restrained against movement but removal and replacement of the absorbent requires disassembly of the receiver. In other designs, an elongated fabric sleeve is packed with absorbent and placed inside an elongated cage, which is then inserted into the receiver housing. The absorbent-containing sleeve is trapped inside the cage to prevent movement of the sleeve relative to the cage. Spring clips or bayonet connections are used to fix the cage against movement relative to the receiver housing. A threaded cap at the top of the receiver housing can be removed to allow retrieval of the adsorbent-containing cage. In order to be able to freely retrieve the cage from the receiver against the force of the retaining devices, a clip or other device is preferably formed on the upper end of the cage to receive a manually operated hooking tool. This complicates the removal and replacement of adsorbent. It is with overcoming deficiencies such as those described above that the present invention is concerned.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an elongated absorbent unit for an integrated receiver housing of a condenser with the adsorbent unit being substantially fixed against movement during refrigeration operations yet easily retrieved for removal and replacement of the adsorbent.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an elongated absorbent unit for an elongated integrated receiver of a condenser which does not require an enclosing structure.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an elongated absorbent unit for an elongated receiver that maintains a self-sustaining elongated shape during refrigeration operations.
In a first aspect, the present invention relates to self-retaining adsorbent unit in combination with an elongated integrated receiver of a condenser having a length-to-width ratio of not less than about 6:1. The adsorbent unit includes an elongated adsorbent-carrying porous fabric casing that itself has a length-to-width ratio of not less than about 6:1. Adsorbent is disposed in the casing. A retaining tab is formed at one end of the casing for securing the adsorbent unit to an external structure. In another aspect, the casing is elongated in a substantially cylindrical configuration throughout its length. In a further aspect, the retaining tab has a width throughout its length that is substantially equal to the diameter of the casing. In a still further aspect, the adsorbent is packed sufficiently tightly within the casing to cause the adsorbent unit to be self-sustaining in its substantially cylindrical configuration.